1. Early life and youth career
1.1. Early life and education
Kohei Inoue was born on October 5, 1978, in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He stands at 69 in (174 cm) and weighs 150 lb (68 kg). During his formative years, he attended Suita Dairoku Junior High School. His football development continued at Seiritsu Gakuen High School, where he refined his skills and played at a competitive level.
1.2. Youth career
Inoue joined the youth team of JEF United Ichihara in 1994, during his high school years. He played for their youth squad until 1996, laying the foundation for his professional career within one of Japan's prominent football clubs. His dedication and performance in the youth ranks led to his promotion to the senior team.
2. Professional playing career
Kohei Inoue's professional career spanned from 1997 to 2006, seeing him play for three different clubs across Japan's top football leagues.
2.1. JEF United Ichihara
Inoue was promoted to the top team of JEF United Ichihara, a J1 League club, in 1997. He primarily played as a defensive midfielder. During his debut season, he managed to secure a starting position in the latter half of the season, making 16 appearances and scoring 2 goals in the league. However, his playing opportunities diminished in the subsequent years, with only 4 league appearances in 1998 and no appearances in 1999.
2.2. Albirex Niigata
In 2000, Inoue transferred to Albirex Niigata, a club competing in the J2 League. This move proved to be a turning point for his career, as he established himself as a regular player, primarily operating as a right side back. He played for two seasons with Albirex Niigata, making 20 league appearances in 2000 and a significant 35 appearances in 2001. His contract with Albirex Niigata expired at the end of the 2001 season.
2.3. Sagawa Express Tokyo
Following his departure from Albirex Niigata, Kohei Inoue joined Sagawa Express Tokyo, a club in the Japan Football League (JFL), in 2002. He remained with the team for five seasons, from 2002 to 2006, consistently featuring in their lineup. During his tenure, he played 13 matches in 2002, 18 in 2003, 13 in 2004, 24 in 2005, and 14 in 2006. He retired from professional football at the conclusion of the 2006 season.
3. Post-retirement activities
After his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2006 season, Kohei Inoue continued to be involved in the sport. Following the merger of Sagawa Express Tokyo SC and Sagawa Express Osaka SC, he left the merged entity. He subsequently played for Sagawa Computer System Soccer Club. From 2009, he continued his playing career with AS Jamineiro, an amateur club, competing in regional leagues such as the Hokushinetsu Football League 2nd Division and the Niigata Prefectural Soccer League 1st Division. Beyond playing, Inoue has transitioned into a coaching role and is currently involved in instructing at FC LAZO and Tokyo Gakkan Niigata High School, sharing his extensive experience with aspiring young footballers.
4. Club history
Kohei Inoue's career involved affiliations with various clubs and school teams, progressing from youth development to professional and post-retirement amateur play.
- Suita Dairoku Junior High School
- 1994-1996: JEF United Ichihara Youth (while attending Seiritsu Gakuen High School)
- 1997-1999: JEF United Ichihara
- 2000-2001: Albirex Niigata
- 2002-2006: Sagawa Express Tokyo SC
- Sagawa Computer System Soccer Club (DESEO Tokyo)
- 2009-?: AS Jamineiro
5. Career statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | |||||||
| 1997 | JEF United Ichihara | J1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2000 | Albirex Niigata | J2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |||
| 2002 | Sagawa Express Tokyo | JFL | 13 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2003 | 18 | 1 | - | - | 18 | 1 | |||||
| 2004 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2005 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 27 | 0 | ||||
| 2006 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 1 | ||||
| 2010 | AS Jamineiro | Niigata Pref. 1st Division | - | - | |||||||
| 2011 | Hokushinetsu 2nd Division | 10 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | Niigata Pref. 1st Division | - | - | ||||||||
| 2013 | Hokushinetsu 2nd Division | 13 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | ||||
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 10 | 1 | |||||
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2017 | - | - | |||||||||
| Total | 196 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 206 | 5 | |||